Scarlet Snow
by shadowroxas101
Summary: Green finds an injured an dying Red atop Mt. Silver, but when the only hope he has at survival has been overrun by Team Rocket, Green must do everything he can to make sure his friend survives. One-shot, yaoi, RedxGreen


Hello people of fanfiction! This is my first published poke fic and even though it was a product of pure boredom, I'm considering of extending this little one-shot into a bigger story, or just maybe adding a few more one-shots that tie into this one. Anyway, please read and enjoy.

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Scarlet Snow

All right, that was the _last _straw. This was the third year straight that that crimson-eyed bastard had opted on staying up in that frozen hell rather than coming down and at least saying hello to his friends and family. Not this time. Green was determined to bring his long time rival home for at least a few days. He could always climb back up this godforsaken mountain when he was done, but for now he _was _going to get the human interaction he so rightly needed.

"Vui?" the small pokemon asked its emerald-eyed trainer as it sat perched atop his shoulder. The snow was starting to fall a bit more heavily now. They were going to have to hurry if they wanted to beat the storm.

Green reached a hand up and gently scratched his Eevee behind its ear, earning him a pleased growl. "That idiot, Red," he grumbled under his breath, "It's fucking cold up here. How the hell does he manage to stay alive?"

Just then, he could feel Eevee stiffen, its ears pointed forward hearing some far off noise. Green stopped, watching as the little fox began to sniff the air. "What is it?" Eevee didn't even notice his master's question, and instead leaped off his shoulder running as fast as its legs could carry it through the quickly deepening snow. The gym leader didn't hesitate to run after his pokemon into the trees.

"Damn it, Eevee, what is it?" Green growled when he finally caught up with his partner. His breath instantly caught in his throat when his own jade eyes locked with blood red crimson. There was the very person he had traveled three days through the cold and the snow to find, just sitting in the snow.

A thick stream of blood flowed from his mess of ebony hair that hung loosely in his face from beneath his prized cap. The stray locks caught in the flow clung to his forehead, and a separate stream of blood branched off, trickling into his crimson eye causing it to blink irritably.

As much as the gash concerned the gym leader, the little cut was the least of his worries. Red's entire left side was entirely mangled and his battered limbs hung limply in the snow. Green could only assume his injuries had something to do with the remains of a large boulder that sat nearby. Even from that distance it was obvious that the bones were broken, Green just didn't know to what extent.

Dark red stained the snow around the young trainer's body and spread with each passing moment. Something had gotten its claws into the left half of his waist, leaving three enormous lacerations that continuously dripped blood onto the ground below, melting the snow like a hot knife through butter. He had already easily lost a quart of blood, and was rapidly losing more by the second.

All the while Green made a mental check of the severity of his wounds, Red stared with curious scarlet eyes. His Pikachu pleaded with him at his side, nuzzling his good arm as the champion absentmindedly stroked its fur.

"What the hell are you doing!" Green demanded as he finally snapped from his shock, caught somewhere between fury and panic. The leader wasn't even aware as his legs brought him to the raven's side and his hands as they mechanically went about examining Red's left side. He could easily tell Red had been in this position for a while; a thin layer of snow had already begun to build up atop his body.

Only minutes before he'd been out gathering firewood with his partner, only to be attacked by an enraged Ursaring. He had left the rest of his pokemon back at the cave, assuming Pikachu would be enough to fend off any wild pokemon; he couldn't be more wrong. The pokemon completely caught the champion off guard, and in an instant his body had been ripped open by the creature's massive claws and thrown into the side of the mountain. Before he even had a chance to comprehend what had happened, a massive boulder had been pried from the earth and hurled at his body. Luckily the aim hadn't been as accurate and only ended up making contact with his left half.

By some miracle he had maintained consciousness and was able to command his Pikachu to attack the infuriated bear pokemon. The bolt of lightning managed to snap the Ursaring from its rage, and it left the wounded trainer be.

He sat there for a while as the little electric mouse frantically tried to help him to his feet, to no avail. The poor pokemon knew its trainer wouldn't last long without the rest of his pokemon with him, but was terrified to leave him for fear he might get attacked again or possibly even die while it was gone. So, Pikachu ended up staying, trying to help his master in any way it could.

Green swallowed hard, regaining his composure and began examining his left half, utterly distraught to find the bones in his shoulder, arm, ribs, leg and most of his collar bone shattered. It was a miracle none of the shards from his rib cage pierced his lungs, or even his heart. There was no doubt he would've perished if no one had found him, and that was a very strong possibility

Not once during the prodding had Red so much as flinched. As jade eyes returned to the trainer's face he was met with one of the younger teen's famous innocent smiles that he only ever gave to _his _Green. He brought his hand from his Pikachu's head and used it to pull the brunet's lips into his for a short kiss. This was a very common greeting between the two trainers ever since Red became the champion of Kanto.

The gym leader uttered a low growl and pulled away at the show of affection. "Don't give me any of that! What the hell happened to you? Your head's split open and it looks like you got into it with a blender!"

Red's expression had faded back to puppy like indifference, appearing not at all concerned about what the other was saying. Over the years spent journeying, the younger trainer had become more and more devoid of emotion, and preferred his phlegmatic expression, though those who knew him well could always find a hint of feeling buried deep in his scarlet eyes.

Green's gaze returned to anger as he met the crimson eyes once more. He took hold of Red's good arm and wrapped it over his shoulders, then hoisted the younger male to his feet. "This has gone on long enough. You were nearly killed out here. I don't care what you say, you are going back and you are going to stay with me at the gym, and that is final."

Red didn't protest, but he did stop Green just before he began to haul him back down the trail. "Wait." His voice was barely above a whisper, only audible in the fact that he had been right beside Green. "My pokemon."

Green turned to his Eevee and Pikachu. "Go grab the pokeballs from the cave. We'll meet you back on the trail." The two nodded in unison and hurried off through the trees. With a sigh, the older trainer turned back to his friend whose wounds were still dripping blood. "Do you have any medical supplies in that old bag of yours?" His voice was much softer than it had been earlier, mostly due to exhaustion.

The crimson teen gave a slight shake of his head, comfortably leaning his full weight against Green's body. His left leg was dragging limply through the snow behind them, trailing blood as they went along.

Green sighed once more, and shook his head dismissively. He leaned his friend's body against a nearby tree and unwound the warm scarf from his neck. It wasn't much, but it was a good enough substitute for the time being as he tied it around red's waist.

"Hopefully this will be enough to keep you from bleeding to death on our way back."

Red had currently taken to staring off into space as he was lifted once more. This was yet another common habit the champion had adopted during his time on the mountain. Green noticed this whenever he visited the trainer, and simply believed it to be the result of isolating himself in that cave of his for so long. Another reason to bring him back to civilization.

oOxoxOo

Hours had passed since Green had discovered Red, and the snow was beginning to fall heavier. It wouldn't be long before Green would have to find them shelter for the night.

Pikachu whined at his trainer's feet, staring up at the crimson male with concern etched in its eyes. Red had started to drift off a few minutes ago. His head bobbed as he tried to stay awake in his friend's grasp, but it was obvious to the older male that he wouldn't make it much longer.

"Alright, do you have any idea where we could stay for the night?" Green asked of the half conscious teen. Red blinked a few times before shaking his head like a rag doll. "Well, shit. Heh, I guess we might just freeze to death anyway."

Though he never looked it, Red really became quite irritated by Green's pessimistic attitude. He turned to his Pikachu and silently commanded the yellow mouse forward. Pikachu nodded in understanding and took off ahead of them.

In no time at all the electric pokemon came bounding back toward them, pointing eagerly in the direction ahead. Green stared at the little mouse before turning to find a small exhausted smirk on Red's face. He huffed and followed after the Pikachu. "Yeah, yeah, gloat all you want ya jerk," he muttered under his breath.

The cave was small, but it was decent enough to suit their purposes. Green set the younger trainer against the rocky wall of the cave, wiping a bit of the dried blood from his pale lips. Red pouted softly, forcing an amused smirk from the gym leader. He was the only one that could ever pull this much emotion from the champion, even including Red's own mother, and he relished that fact.

They had both called back their Pokemon into their pokeballs for the night, despite their protests. It simply made things easier in keeping them warm.

Green stood, brushing some of the snow from his clothes, then went about digging through his bag. The raven-haired trainer was exhausted, but not enough to keep him from watching the other with curious eyes. He spent the majority of his time alone, so any time spent with people peaked his curiosity in their actions, and these 'people' mostly consisted of Green. After a minute of rummaging Green had pulled out a couple sodas and some rice balls. He hadn't come prepared in the field of medicine, but he did bring plenty of food for himself and the younger teen.

"Here," the brunet muttered, tossing him a rice ball. Red caught it with ease and immediately set to devouring it in practically a single bite. Green watched in amazement before grinning. "Wow, you really were starved."

He tossed Red another rice ball, and just as before it vanished in an instant. The raven glanced up at the other's laughter, which only increased when Green noticed the stray bits of rice clinging to Red's cheeks and chin. It was adorable and reminded the gym leader of better days, back when the two of them were still kids and Red still spoke, well, more than he does now. Why couldn't it be like that now? Life would be so much simpler if it was.

The older trainer pulled a green blanket from his bag then laid it over himself and his friend, careful of his battered left side as he sat beside him. Just before he sat down, Green noticed the gashes had bled through the fabric of the scarf and were beginning to drip on the floor of the cave. Just as the brunet was about to ask how the younger was doing, Red was hurled into a violent fit of coughing. His hand flew to cover his mouth and he doubled over from the sheer force.

Green caught him before he could topple over then pulled him against his chest. He couldn't tell whether it was from his wounds or perhaps if he had somehow become ill before hand. Either way, the leader could only watch as Red continued to hack violently.

When it was finally over, Red rested his head against Green's chest allowing his eyes to fall closed as he tried to catch his breath. Green quietly stroked the raven's hair while holding him close beneath the blanket. He could clearly feel the rising fever against the trainer's normally cool skin, and the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"You think you're gonna make it?" Green asked in an almost sarcastic tone, though it still held that air of concern. Red nodded against Green's warmth, more or less nuzzling the other trainer as he began to breathe normally again.

There was a small pause as the leader contemplated the entire state of affairs. "Green?" Said male jumped slightly at the unexpected voice. He looked down only to find the younger teen's crimson eyes still closed.

"Yeah?"

Another short pause before Red shifted slightly. "Thank you."

Jade eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected reply, before settling back down in a soft, amused gaze. He smiled lightly, "Heh, well someone's gotta take care of ya. It might as well be me." Green waited for a reply of some sort, but instead chuckled quietly when the sound of soft snoring met his ears.

He'd have to get the crimson-eyed trainer into town by tomorrow or he'd definitely be in trouble.

oOxoxOo

Unbeknownst to the gym leader, word had spread of his absence and one group in particular was taking all the advantage they could of this fact. Within the first two days the group had defeated the replacement leader and had taken full siege of Viridian city, preventing all access both in and out of the city. Now all they had to do was take down the real leader and there would be no force strong enough to interfere with their plan.

oOxoxOo

"We should be there in a few hours. How're ya holdin' up?" Green glanced down at the trainer leaning against his shoulder. The head of ebony hair gave a small nod, crimson eyes staring blankly at the snow covered ground before them.

_He's not doing so great, _the older teen sighed to himself, _We're going to need to stop soon._

He noticed Red lagging more than usual, his shattered leg becoming worse with each step they took. Every once in a while, the trainer would get caught up in another fit of coughing, and once he finished there would be a larger amount of blood staining the palm of his hand. This worried Green, more than he'd ever let Red know. The realization that Red wasn't exactly as invincible as the two of them first thought was becoming more and more defined by the minute, and it terrified the older trainer to no end.

Just hang in there, all right? There's no way in hell I'm letting you die before I get you back home.

Just then, a thick, purple haze descended on the two trainers, engulfing them entirely. Green instinctively reached for one of the pokeballs on his belt, calling out for his Pigeot. The enormous bird appeared in a brilliant flash of white light, spreading its massive wings in an act of intimidation. "Pidgeot, whirlwind," Green commanded. The pokemon loyally complied, blowing away the thick haze.

As the smoke cleared, the older trainer growled lowly. They were surrounded by both men and women alike; all adorned in the same all too familiar black uniform. A vibrant red 'R' branded each individual, the universal symbol for the well-known, bastard group, Team Rocket.

"Don't tell me your jackass of a boss is at it again?" Green commented sardonically. Red simply remained silent beside the gym leader, his crimson eyes glaring daggers at the group.

"Shut up," one of the men commanded. His tone was harsh and unusually threatening. Perhaps that was due to the fact that Red was in absolutely no condition to battle, and though Green wouldn't like to admit, a hindrance to the older trainer's battling abilities. "You're coming with us. We can't risk the both of you getting in the way."

Green smirked at this. "Yeah, right. Pidgeot, use wing attack." A few of the men nearly lost their heads as the giant bird charged them. Lucky for them they had leapt out of the way just in time.

The ones who hadn't been in the way of the attack each called out their pokemon, releasing mostly houndoom and weezing. They all simultaneously released a thick smog, once again enveloping the trainers. This time Green didn't have time to react. He felt cold metal bind his arms, compressing them tightly against his body as he was torn from Red. He could hear an agonized cry coming from nearby, as well as the sound of his Pidgeot. Green had _never _heard Red make a noise like that, and the gym leader could practically feel his heart stop beating in his chest. Just like that, everything went dark.

oOxoxOo

His head ached painfully. It felt as though his brain was pounding against his skull. Thick shackles bound his wrists behind his back, the rusted metal digging into his flesh. He groaned loudly as he forced his hazy emerald eyes to open.

From what he could tell, he was in some sort of prison cell. He continued to glance around until he caught sight of something that forced his heart into his throat.

"Red!" he called to the younger trainer leaned against the opposite wall. He was unconscious. They hadn't even bothered to put restraints on the raven, no doubt because of the extent of his injuries. Even with the dim light, Green could clearly see the dark bruise marring the entirety of Red's left arm. It had been bad the night before, but it was obvious that it had gotten worse with the time that passed.

Green futily tried to pull himself to his feet, only to end up collapsing back as the restraints cut into his wrists. He could feel the warm liquid ooze along the back of his hand.

"I guess just getting up and walking out of here is out of the question then," he muttered under his breath. "Red. Hey, Red! Wake up!"

Across the room, Red's eyelids began to flutter, stopping at the half waypoint as he pulled his head up. He looked completely exhausted. Green heaved a relieved sigh; glad to see his friend wasn't dead.

Red's eyes slowly scanned the room, just as Green's had. His crimson eyes never returned to the older trainer's as he raised his arm behind him and grasped onto a hole in the wall. He used it to heave himself to his feet, stumbling a bit as he stood before using the rest of the wall as a support.

"What do you think you're doing?" Green demanded. Red was still trying to catch his breath from the effort. The sight scared the older trainer. He knew this would only end badly, and wanted desperately for his friend to sit back down.

Red completely ignored the leader and began pulling himself to where the bars of the cell stood. He was able to catch himself on one of the bars before falling, and leaned his body against them for a moment.

By this time Green was fuming. "Damn it, Red!" he exclaimed, "Do you _want_ to kill yourself!"

This time Red glanced back at the older trainer, his scarlet eyes still half lidded from exhaustion, yet holding an emotion that immediately silenced Green. He couldn't place what it was; perhaps determination, but something was there that told the leader to have faith.

With a tired huff, Red turned his gaze back out into the hallway. A few Rockets were standing guard on either side of the cell, each armed with a machine gun and accompanied by a Houndoom. Other than that, the hallways were barren.

One of the guards noticed the champion leaned against the bars, and turned to face him with a low growl. "Hey! Get back in there!" With a forceful blow, the guard rammed the butt of his gun into the younger's stomach, knocking him a good yard from the bars. The Rocket laughed as the teen writhed in pain, clutching his stomach with his good arm.

"Red!" Green cried in horror.

The guard snorted and went back to his post, muttering, "I knew we shoulda chained that one up too."

Green struggled against his bonds, forming deeper and deeper gashes in his wrists. He needed to get to his friend. He needed to see if he was all right. Red continued to hack and gasp as he tried to catch his breath, but forced his gaze back to the brunet. Amidst the coughing, a deviant smirk played across his face. Green was dumbstruck, that is, until Red held up the stolen key card he swiped from the guard.

The older trainer couldn't help but share the smirk. _That sneaky bastard, _he chuckled to himself.

oOxoxOo

An hour passed and Red had fallen asleep on the floor where he lay after the Rocket struck him. It was obvious to Green that the champion was still in a great deal of pain. His breathing was shallow, and his body trembled slightly.

Green was still fumbling with the cuffs on his wrists. He needed to get free before they could escape, and he also needed to see if Red was all right. Not only that, but the two of them needed to come up with an effective route of escape as well, and they needed to find where Team Rocket had taken their pokemon. He couldn't really do any of that chained up while Red was passed out all the way across the room. The gym leader had to think of something to get free, and quick.

"Hey!" Green called. Both of the guards turned to look at the teen with scowls on their faces. They were obviously not happy being the ones to watch over the two trainers.

"What do you want, kid?" One of the guards growled.

Green forced his best depressed and exhausted look, looking rather pitiful. He was glad Red was unconscious for that. "Um, yeah, my friend here's in pretty bad shape. Any chance you could undo these for a couple minutes, just so I can get him off the floor? You can put them back after I'm done." It made the leader sick to his stomach to be so hospitable to these ass holes, but it was the only way.

The Rockets turned to each other, one with an irate frown and the other looking rather apathetic. He shrugged, and the other went back to his post. "Fine, whatever," the apathetic guard grumbled, removing his card key from his pocket and sliding it through the sensor. There was a beep as the door slid open. "I don't even know why we put these things on in the first place," he muttered to himself more so than Green.

Once the shackles had been removed the Rocket returned back to his post. Green rubbed his blood soaked wrists, trying to recover some of the circulation, though he didn't really know what good that would do since they were already torn open. He carefully crawled over to the unconscious teen's side, never taking his eyes off the door until he safely reached the fallen trainer.

"Red. Red," Green whispered softly, gently nudging the raven's shoulder. Red made a noise in protest, but reluctantly glanced up at the older trainer. "Come on, it's time to go."

Red nodded and willingly accepted Green's hand as he pulled him to his feet. He draped the champion's arm over his shoulder once again, noticing how the raven seemed to just hang there in his grasp.

_This isn't good, _Green thought grudgingly, _I don't think he'll be able to make it out of here. He barely has the strength to stay awake, and he's shaking badly._

He had to make a decision. He could leave Red here and come back with his pokemon, but that would risk one of the guards killing the champion while he was gone. However, he found the other method just as dangerous if not more so. He could bring Red along with him, but in his injured state he'd be an easy target to gunfire.

After a moment, Green made up his mind. He escorted his friend to the back wall, out of harms way and took the card key from his possession. Curious crimson orbs met emerald in one last silent conversation before Green pulled away, heading back over to the door of the cell.

"Hey guys," he called, grasping the bars. Both Houndoom uttered low growls as the trainer pressed his face against the bars in an attempt to meet the guard's gaze. "I'm ready to be chained up again."

The guard sighed and opened the automatic doors once again. However, before the Rocket even knew what hit him, Green delivered a powerful blow to his jaw, knocking the man unconscious. The other Rocket was quick to act, firing round after round at the gym leader. In his frazzled state, none of the bullets came anywhere near the teen as he expertly maneuvered through the hail of gunfire. With a perfectly executed roundhouse kick, the remaining guard was swiftly dealt with.

The Houndoom snarled and lunged at the trainer. Green quickly snatched the gun from the unconscious guard and fired at the devil hounds. In an instant, the two pokemon were lying in a bloody heap atop one another. Green never really was one to kill pokemon or humans, but in this case he had to make an exception.

Figuring the firearm would come in handy; the trainer strapped the gun across his chest, then hurried back into the cell. Red watched with intrigued eyes as the brunet once again hoisted the champion's arm onto his shoulder. "All right," Green breathed hurriedly, "Let's go."

They rushed through the hallways as fast as the leader's legs could carry them; their heavy breathing and footsteps deafening in the thick silence.

_Where is everyone? _Green thought nervously. He had expected at least someone to show up at the sound of the gunfire, but there were neither Rockets nor pokemon in sight. They'd already traveled a good distance without any disturbance. The trainer was beginning to think Team Rocket really was just a group of vacuous morons.

Just then, the hallway opened up before them into an enormous room. Green skidded to a halt just before they reached the opening. He recognized that room. "We're below the gym," he panted quietly to the trainer beside him. He'd often come to train there whenever he decided to make a trip up to Mt. Silver. How come he'd never noticed this section of the gym? Oh well, it didn't matter now. He could hear people conversing just passed the door, and decided it was time to use that gun he liberated.

Green gently set Red against the wall, ordering him to stay put. Red arched a disbelieving brow, one that said, 'really? Are you serious?' "Hey, knowing you you'd probably find some way to follow me," Green growled in a harsh whisper.

It was true though. The champion was beginning to get agitated with how uncooperative his body was being. He wanted to help his friend, but he couldn't find any means to do so. It was rather unfair in the young trainer's mind, but he had gone through hell to get that key card. That was enough to appease him for now.

Red watched as Green cautiously peeked around the corner, unstrapping the weapon from his back. A small group of Rockets were standing guard by the large stairwell. They didn't have any pokemon, but each was armed with a machine gun just as the other two were.

"I can't believe Viridian is ours," one of the younger Rockets grinned. It was obvious he was a new recruit; he barely knew how to hold his weapon.

Another Rocket elbowed the kid in the side, relinquishing a 'hey' from the younger. "What the hell do you mean 'ours'?" he growled, "You've only been here for a few months, you little brat. Viridian belongs to the boss and us veteran Rockets. You need to earn your right to be a member."

The others laughed at the young member, offering their own two cents about how he wasn't experienced enough to really be a part of Team Rocket. Green shook his head dismissively. Who would _want _to be in Team Rocket? It wasn't something to be proud of.

Regardless, he continued to watch warily as the group of Rockets suddenly tensed, each standing perfectly straight with their eyes forward. Someone was coming down the stairs. The gym leader inched back slightly for better cover, yet allowed himself enough space to clearly view the staircase undetected. Another group of Rockets were descending the staircase, two adorning the normal 'grunt' attire, and the third clad in what looked like a business suit. A large Persian followed closely to the third man's feet. Green recognized this man immediately.

_Giovanni, _the trainer snarled to himself.

The leader of Team Rocket, the one Green had inherited the gym from after his defeat three years ago, and the one who tried to kill Red when the champion had come to stop him. Just the thought of this man made Green's blood boil to deadly levels. His fist clenched tightly at his side until the knuckles became white.

"How are the prisoners?" Giovanni grinned as he entered the large, underground battlefield. A nostalgic light glittered in his eyes as he admired his old gym.

"Secure, sir," one of the grunts responded with an idiotic salute that made Green chuckle quietly. "The gym leader is restrained, the replacement leader is secure in the back, and the champion will most likely be dead within the next few hours." This forced a harsh snarl from the brunet. How dare they talk about Red like some pathetic dog! It pissed Green off to no end. No one disrespected Red except him! Not only that, but they had Blue held captive as well.

"Good, good," the boss turned back to his soldiers, "And their pokemon?"

"Right here." The man pulled out a small, black leather case and undid the clasp. It popped open, revealing the eighteen pokeballs they had stolen from himself, Red and Blue. If only he could get to that case.

Behind him he could hear Red start to cough. He turned back to find the younger trainer casting him apologetic looks between hacks. Luckily the sound wasn't loud enough to alert any of the Rockets, but that did mean that Green would have to hurry.

"Excellent." Giovanni looked utterly ecstatic as he reached for one of the pokemon from the case. He held it in front of his face, grinning like the Cheshire cat before tossing it upward. There was a brilliant flash of light and in an instant, Green's Arcanine appeared.

As soon as its golden eyes fell upon Giovanni, a menacing snarl ripped through its chest and it let loose a stream of fire from its mouth. The flames engulfed the man, but quickly dissipated as a barrier deflected the blast. Arcanine matched its trainer's surprise, and hesitantly took a step backward.

"Now, now," Giovanni grinned, raising his hand in a dismissive gesture, "there's no use trying to resist. You belong to me now, therefore you will obey my commands, and if you refuse…" He signaled to one of the grunts who obediently pulled out a remote control and flipped one of the switches. An electric current tore through the regal canine's body, forcing an agonized howl from the beast.

Green watched in horror as those heartless bastards tortured his pokemon. He wanted to simply charge out there, gun blazing, but he knew that would only end in both his and Red's destruction. So, against his better nature, the leader remained where he was. He needed to wait for the opportune moment.

Red could hear the tortured howls echoing through the hallways, and the sound infuriated him just as much as it had Green. He growled lowly under his breath and glared passed the older trainer at Giovanni.

As the electricity ceased, the enormous dog collapsed back on its haunches. The sound of Giovanni's deep laugh echoed through the large battlefield as he strolled over to the pokemon. "…that is what will happen. And don't worry about trying to make it back to your 'previous' master. I can assure you, he'll be long gone before you even get a chance to see his sorry face."

Acranine's eyes widened in shock before narrowing dangerously, as it uttered a threatening growl. However, it made no move to attack the man.

That was the last straw! Green couldn't take one more second of seeing that disgusting cur treat his pokemon that way. Gunfire rang through the gym, and before any of the Rockets could realize what happened, half the grunts were six feet under.

Green raced onto the field and in a fluid motion, he kicked the remote out of the grunt's hand. The device skidded across the floor, coming to a halt in the corner of the coliseum. A cocky smirk painted itself on the leader's face as he positioned his weapon directly at Giovanni's head. "Yeah, I don't think your little plan was really thought all the way through."

Giovanni's eyes grew practically twice their size as he stared at the brunet. "You! How did you escape?" he more or less barked.

"You're boys aren't exactly the brightest matches in the box. Now, I think it would be best for everyone if I just ended you here and now." Without wasting a second, Green pulled the trigger, only to have his plan backfire quite literally. The bullet deflected off the barrier surrounding the Rocket, ricocheting backward and grazing the teen's arm. He yelped and staggered backward.

The Rocket leader flashed a malevolent grin before turning to the remaining grunts. "Kill this vermin."

In a flash, the Rockets opened fire on the leader. Green dodged the bullets, leaping onto his Arcanine's back. "Use extreme speed and grab the case," he ordered. The pokemon nodded dutifully and used its remarkable speed to weave through the gunfire, sinking its large fangs into the grunt's shoulder. The man cried out and released the case, several of the pokeballs flying onto the battlefield and releasing their contents onto the battlefield.

Brilliant flashes of light erupted across the gym floor, and from those flashes emerged Red's Charizard, Green's Blastoise and Nidoking and Blue's Espeon and Furret. "Arcanine, flamethrower!" Green ordered. The large dog released a massive stream of fire from its muzzle, engulfing the remaining grunts. Unfortunately they too possessed the same protective technology as their leader, though it didn't defend against their guns. The metal of the weapons instantly became molten and the men were forced to drop the guns. Furious, they resorted to using their pokemon instead. This was all Green needed. Now the playing field would be even on both sides, at least, almost even.

Giovanni snarled, and he too called out his prized pokemon. "Destroy that child!" he bellowed. And just like that, the war began.

From Red's seat in the hallway, he could see clearly the events take place. He knew now that if there were a time to help, it would be now. The wounded champion staggered to his feet, leaning his frame heavily on the wall and began making his way to the doorway.

Meanwhile, Green maneuvered through the fights on the back of his Arcanine. Luckily for him, each of their pokemon remembered Team Rocket distinctly and didn't need to be told to fight. He was determined to find Blue to at least supply him a little backup in the fight, though in all honesty he would've preferred Red. Not that Blue wasn't a brilliant trainer, Green simply would've preferred Red's battling style in this particular fight. After all, Red was the one who defeated Giovanni all those years ago.

Seeing as he hadn't come across any other prisoners in the hallway he and Red came from, the only other option was the sealed off room beside the staircase. He vaulted from his Arcanine's back onto the ground below, snatching the keycard from his pocket and swiping it on the lock. The red light on the door flashed green and the leader pulled the door open. Inside he found a young girl chained in the corner of the small room, just as he had been minutes before.

"Blue!" he gasped, and rushed into the small room.

Outside, Red had managed to pull himself into the doorway. He was breathing heavily, but that didn't stop him from trying to help. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his Charizard as it unleashed a burst of fire from its jaws, completely overwhelming Giovanni's Nidoqueen. A rare smirk spread over the champion's face as he watched his pokemon battle valiantly. After a moment, the dragon's eyes locked with its trainers. Without uttering a single word to the pokemon, Red commanded it to go after the case that had been forgotten on the floor.

Throughout Kanto, Red was renown for his ability to silently command his pokemon. It made him a deadly threat in battle and one of the many reasons he became champion in the first place. No one could order a counter attack if they had no idea what attack the opponent was intending to use. Only rarely did the raven ever audibly order his pokemon, and that was if he couldn't make eye contact with them.

He watched as his Charizard skillfully swooped down amidst the fray, grabbing hold of the case. However, Red wasn't the only one watching. Giovanni caught the sight of the pokemon's strange behavior, and stared intently as Charizard flew back to the hall entrance. The Rocket acquired a malicious grin when he spotted the champion in the doorway, and decided perhaps the obnoxious gym leader wasn't the prime target after all.

"Rhydon!" he called. The large rock pokemon turned its attention from the battle to its master. "Cease attacking those pathetic pokemon. I have a much more important task for you."

Red took the case from his Charizard and didn't hesitate to call out the rest of his pokemon. Pikachu was overjoyed to see his trainer, and nuzzled him lovingly. Again, the champion mutely commanded his pokemon, ordering them all to defeat the Rockets at all costs. They were only too willing to oblige. However, he kept Charizard with him, climbing rather clumsily onto its back. His body was racked with excruciating pain, but just as before, that wasn't going to stop him.

Just then, a flurry of sharpened rocks came hurling toward them. Without a moment's hesitation, Charizard took to the air, avoiding the rocks just in time. Red had nearly taken a dive at the sudden lurch, but he held on and shot a soul-searing glare at the Rhydon below. Charizard let loose another flamethrower, but the attack did little damage against the pokemon's hard armour. In retaliation, Rhydon ripped another mass of sharpened rocks from the earth and flung them at the dragon. With little effort, the pokemon expertly dipped and weaved through the shower. Unfortunately, Red wasn't having such an easy time. He'd greatly overestimated what little strength he had left, and could feel himself slipping.

The large dragon sensed its master's distress and changed its flight pattern to allow the trainer to gain more stability. However, the Rhydon caught sight of the sudden change and didn't hesitate to attack with another rock throw. Charizard didn't have time to dodge the attack.

The attack collided with the pokemon, sending both it and its trainer spiraling toward the gym floor. Green and Blue left the small cell just in time to watch as the orange beast hurtled toward the earth.

Only one word could escape the Gym leader's lips as he saw his beloved falling right out of the sky, _"No."_

Green could feel his heart shatter in sync with the thud as Charizard and Red crashed to the ground. Before he had time to even register his actions, he felt himself racing toward the fallen trainer, certain the sight he was about to meet would be far more gruesome than the scene on the mountain. The shouts of commands and the cries of the pokemon as they fought with everything they had were only muffled sounds to Green. All he could hear were the desperate pleas echoing in his mind, repeating over and over like a mantra.

…

Charizard didn't have time to dodge the attack. Red could feel himself falling right out of the air. He clung to his pokemon desperately as the two of them hurtled toward the earth.

Giovanni watched with wicked amusement as the enormous dragon crashed to the gym floor. All but ignoring the intensity of the battle around him, the man casually strode through the blasts of fire, and electricity over to the fallen trainer, the malicious grin never leaving his face. He was finally about to get rid of that nuisance once and for all.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" he purred over the champion, currently struggling to right himself atop his unconscious pokemon. It was obvious the teen was in immense pain, and blood dripped from his lips as violent coughs shook his frame. Suddenly, the grin on the Rocket's face turned to pure loathing, and with a swift movement he delivered a kick to Red's stomach. The raven gave a short grunt as he rolled off the dragon into the dirt below. "Then again, you were never so mighty in the first place."

Giovanni pressed his foot to Red's shattered left arm, and gradually began applying more and more pressure until the boy was literally screaming in agony. The sound was like music to the Rocket's ears. Tucked away in the darkest corner of the gym, no one noticed as the man tortured Red. The throws of battle completely drown out the cries of pain.

Licking his lips, Giovanni pulled his shoe from the trainer's arm. He knelt down and roughly took the panting boy's face in his hand, examining his delicate features.

"You really are a fine little thing, aren't you," he mused, the grin reappearing across his thin lips. He traced his fingers along one of the soft pale cheeks. "Such lovely features. You're almost like a living, breathing work of art. If it wasn't for our unfortunate past together, I may have decided to keep you all for myself. However, you've already written your own fate."

In the blink of an eye, Giovanni's delicate touch turned life threatening as his large hands closed fiercely around Red's throat. "Don't die to quickly now!" he cried in near ecstasy, a feral look burning in his acidic eyes, "I want to relish the beautiful look on your face as I squeeze the life out of you!"

Red could feel what little life he had drain away as he struggled fruitlessly against the man's hold. He knew he was going to die. If not by Giovanni's hand, then by the fall that had sheathed one of his loose ribs into his lungs and the severe internal bleeding he could feel as it flowed over his internal organs. If anything, at least this death would be quicker and less painful, more honorable than simply bleeding to death. He would die by the hands of his enemy in battle. Yet, all the while, he couldn't stop thinking of how weak he was. He was ashamed that he couldn't be stronger for his Green and his pokemon, that he'd failed them.

The Rocket leader watched with pure bloodlust in his gaze as thick crimson pooled beneath Red's body. His desperate gasps became less frequent and the already weak grip the boy had on his hands was almost non-existent. This moment couldn't last nearly long enough, no, not even if it continued for all eternity.

"Get away from him!"

Giovanni snarled as his fun was cut short. He whirled around, keeping his hands on the boy's throat, just in time to see the brunet leader running toward him. The man sneered removing a gun from his coat as he stood and fired at the trainer. Luckily, Green managed to dodge the bullet, which hadn't been dead on and tackled the leader. For a moment, the Rocket was taken aback when the brunet got passed his barrier, but when he glanced down at the band on his wrist he found it damaged. That little bastard must've gotten at it while his hands were around his neck.

The two wrestled on the dirt floor, occasionally delivering blows as Green struggled to keep the gun out of range of his body. Finally, the brunet snatched the deadly weapon away and held it against the man's head.

Green glared at the Rocket leader as he caught his breath. "You sick son of a bitch," he growled, "how dare you try and take what's mine. You kidnap us, steal my gym and my city, then try and murder Red? I should kill you here and now." He shoved the barrel more firmly against the man's temple causing Giovanni to wince.

When nothing happened, he slowly opened his eyes and sneered up at the teen. "But you won't, will you?" Green snarled and grasped the Rocket's collar. Giovanni simply laughed, "You're so weak! You can't even kill the man who tried to murder your precious little lover. Tell me, how long do you think he would have lasted lying there in the forest if you hadn't've come along? Fifteen minutes, half an hour?"

As Giovanni's words gradually sunk in, emerald eyes went wide.

"There you go, not as slow as I first thought," he chuckled darkly, "I was the one who instigated the attack, not some wild pokemon. He would've been out of my hair as well if you had just kept your nose out of business that didn't regard you."

By this time, the gym leader's fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his jade eyes blazing fiercely as he glared at the disgusting vermin below him. "Business that doesn't regard me? RED IS MY LIFE! You attack him and you deal with me, you mother fucking pile of shit!"

He rammed the bottom of the gun against Giovanni's head, knocking him out instantly. That bastard had been right, however. Green didn't have the guts to murder anyone. The brunet pushed himself off the unconscious man and ran back to where Red lied motionless on the floor beside his pokemon.

"Red, Red," he whispered frantically, trying to nudge the younger trainer awake, "Come on, please wake up. Damn it, you can't die here like this." Tears were beginning to cloud his vision, only serving to irritate him as he tried to revive the raven.

He glanced up as a pair of rushed footsteps approached, bracing himself expecting a grunt coming to assist their boss. If Red was dead, then screw ethics. He would blow the brains out of every Rocket member he came across. Lucky for him, it was only Blue, and he was able to turn his attention back to Red who was still breathing, if only barely.

"Green!" she panted, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the brunet replied hurriedly, "Blue, I need you to get topside and call an ambulance as soon as you can."

The russet haired girl was a bit confused, but her eyes instantly widened as she spotted who her friend was huddled over. "Oh God, Red! I-I'll go get help!"

"Take your pokemon with you, there're still Rockets all over the city." She nodded, calling her Espeon and Blastoise to go along with her.

Just then, a small groan peaked Green's attention. Red cringed, and his pale lids fluttering until they rested half open, his scarlet eyes gazing blearily up at the teen above him. Blood trailed from the corner of his blue lips and his body shook violently.

The gym leader gasped and gently rested his hand against Red's cool cheek. "Shit," he breathed, "I thought I told you to stay put. Now look what you've done to yourself. You look like death warmed over." Despite his chiding, tears were now flowing freely from his jade eyes, landing on the champion's face.

Red offered the older a shaky smile, desperately trying to fight off the pain coursing through his body. "We win?" he choked past the blood flowing over his lips.

The brunet chuckled, wiping a couple of the stray tears from his eyes, "Yeah, yeah we won thanks to you. You really saved our asses back there." He could feel his heart clench tightly in his chest as Red cringed and a wave of blood gushed from his wounds. "Just promise me you won't die, you bastard," he whispered, choking back the sobs. Green pulled the champion against his chest, burying his face in the mess of raven hair. He didn't care if he was getting covered in Red's blood, all he wanted was to hold the younger boy while he still could.

After a moment, he could feel as the teen began coughing violently but continued to hold onto him for dear life. Finally, the hacking stopped, but so did Red's breathing. Green ran his hands through the ebony locks, unable to hold back the tears any longer as he kissed the champion's cold forehead. "I love you, Red," he cried quietly, "I love you so much. Why did you have to go and be the hero, you selfish asshole? Didn't you even once think about how we'd feel if you died? Damn it, Red."

The gym leader could only sit on the cold dirt floor, clinging to his rival's body as the bloodlust continued around him. The only sounds that reached his ears were the sobs that escaped his lips.

oOxoxOo

Green huffed as he pushed the door open, making sure to keep the tray of food level. A ring of bandages wound firmly around the gunshot wound in his arm, slightly hidden under his sleeve.

"This food looks kinda questionable," the brunet chuckled, taking a seat in a nearby chair, "but I guess you wouldn't really complain. You eat pokemon food for cryin' out loud."

Pikachu chirped on the end of the bed, and Eevee leaped onto its trainer's lap. Green growled and pulled the tray away, "Hey, this isn't for you guys. You already got your food." He glanced up and offered a smirk when he heard the raven snickering in the bed. His left arm and leg were both in casts and hung elevated from slings in the ceiling. His torso was bandaged heavily and he was being fed blood and nutrients through an IV in his wrists.

It had been two weeks since the attack on Viridian was thwarted. Blue had been extremely quick dealing with the rest of the grunts, and hadn't wasted any time calling an ambulance. The paramedics arrived swiftly, carting both Red and Green to the hospital. There were several times during the trip where the champion's heart would simply stop due to blood loss. During the surgery, they were forced to remove his left lung after it had been sliced to the point where it was no longer salvageable. A few of his internal organs had ruptured, and the internal bleeding was extensive. As soon as he was out, the doctors continued to monitor his condition twenty four seven. They were certain he'd wouldn't last the night, and there were numerous times they were nearly proven right.

Green was a complete wreck the entire first week after Red had fallen into a coma. Not once had he left the champion's side, and there were times Blue had to come in and practically force him to eat. He was so ecstatic when the raven awoke, he'd nearly sent the teen back into his coma with how tightly he held him.

Red smiled as the older handed him the tray and happily began munching away at the sandwich despite Green's skeptic looks. The brunet sighed and leaned back in his chair. His emerald eyes drifted to the gold band around the champion's finger and smirked.

Even though the doctor had explained that with his loss of a lung, Red would no longer be able to live up on Mt. Silver, Green just wanted to make sure he wouldn't lose the stubborn teen again. Therefore, he ended up proposing, only to be tackled by an overly excited raven-haired boy. It had been ages since he'd expressed that much emotion, and that only made the event that much more worth while.

Green leaned over the bed and pulled the champion into a kiss, which was eagerly returned. A couple more weeks of recovery and it would no longer just be Green alone at the gym. Viridian would have its champion back, and now there would be no more three-day hikes up that damned mountain just to see the raven. Finally, things would be the way they were meant to.

* * *

Well, that was fun.

I'd really love it if I got some **reviews**, you know, just in case you people want me to make this a series.

LUV YOU ALL! and keep reading!


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